


Broken Blades

by lina23



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: AU, Age Difference, Couch, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Love, Other, figure skating, olicity au, relations - Freeform, student
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-29
Updated: 2016-07-31
Packaged: 2018-07-27 10:37:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7614784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lina23/pseuds/lina23
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Felicity Smoak was an amazing figure skater. Unfortunately she had a bad injury. Now after some time she is trying to get back on the track and compete with the best. The problem is that she doesn't have a coach.</p><p>Oliver a single dad and ex coach. He used to train pairs but when his son's mother left he quit as well.</p><p>Will this be a new chance for both a skater and a coach to work together and reach for gold together?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Felicity was sitting in her kitchen at the high bar stool with her laptop on top of the counter. Her eyebrows were slightly wrinkled as she stared at the screen with focused face.

There was a buzz around her as she was surrounded by her manager, mom, someone from press and many many more people she didn't even recognize.

But she didn't pay any attention to them either as she was focused on her task.

The echoed voice from the tv that was playing in the living room were heard in the whole house.

Breaking news! The aspiring young figure skater Felicity Smoak or as a public liked to call her Sparkle

Felicity groaned at the mention of her 'nickname' she didn't like it and being 21 years old she thought she was a little bit too old for being called like that. That nickname was good for someone who was 12 or 13.

It's true that she did sparkle whenever she was on ice. Her costume was full of shining little rocks and her attitude shone brighter than ever. She truly felt free, like she could do anything when she was skating.

"They could as well call me boo boo or something." She mumbled under her breath.

"What did you say hunnie?" Her mother asked turning and breaking the conversation with Felicity's manager.

"Nothing." She looked up from above her laptop and flashed a quick smile.

We've been informed that Felicity had fully recovered and she is ready to hit the ice one again. We couldn't be happier to hear this news. She had a truly rough year. 

"Bullshit." Felicity said annoyed at the reporter.

They were happy, yeah right.

Everyone turned around from her after the accident. No one besides her mom and manager believed in her. 

People whispered that it was it for her, she would never come back after such a serious knee injure and there was no chance she would be as good as she was not even mentioning to getting better.

But the real question is who will train the young figure skater? She parted her ways with last coach not in the best terms and honestly as much as we wished for the best we doubt anyone will volunteer to do the job.

Felicity cursed under her breath. She tried hard to stay calm and not let all those talks get to her but when everyone seemed to be on you it was hard to stay above it all.

Fortunately the voices from the tv disappeared and she was thankful to whoever turned the tv off.

When she leaned back on her seat too steal a glance inside the living room she saw her mother with a remote.

She smiled to her and mouthed a 'thank you'.

Her mother was probably her biggest fan. She always cared mostly about how Felicity felt, well besides those moments when she was a single mother of a very talented child and her temper could get the best of her.

"Felicity!" Her manager called.

"Yes?"

"What are you doing on that laptop? You have an interview in about half an hour and you are even not ready."

Felicity looked down at herself, at what she was wearing and she honestly hasn't seen anything wrong with her t-shirt and leggings.

She pouted her lips a little bit. "Well I think, I look pretty cool."

She could see the face of her manager, who sometimes took her job way too seriously, turning from annoyed to irritated while her mother was silently laughing in the corner of the room.

Felicity grinned at her mother as she batted her eyelashes trying to look as innocent as possible.

Her manager Sara, who was also her friend, loved her truly but sometimes she just wished her friend was more girly.

The thing is that besides the sparkling and very colorful outfits she wore when she was competing, Felicity loved wearing baggy comfortable clothes. Of course she loved dresses and fancy outfits but she left those for outgoings and some events. At home she prefered to stay like that.

"Sara, I am at home this is a friendly environment and I am supposed to feel comfortable." Felicity spoke calmly and softly.

Sara raised her hands as a surrender. "Alright, alright just please do something with your hair." She lightly cocked her head.

The young skater chuckled. "Okay."

"And what are you doing there on the laptop anyway? You've been on it for a good hour."

Sara tried to peak at what she was doing but Felicity quickly closed it.

"You will find out soon enough."

"You are really mysterious." Her manager narrowed her eyebrows but what she got was a big smile from Felicity as she hopped off from the stool and went to bathroom to like she asked her 'do something' with her messy hair.

After fifteen minutes there was a knock on her door.

"Felicity you have 5 minutes hurry up." Her mother called out.

"Okay I will be ready in a second!"

Everything was settled for an interview.

Felicity came out putting her hair in a high pony tail. She exchanged her leggings for jeans making her manager much happier. She also did a light make up.

She went to her living room and sat comfortably on her big armchair while the interviewer took a one next to hers.

"Thank you for agreeing to do this interview."

"No problem." The blonde woman said politely. "I am glad we could do it here in my house."

"So I would start with asking you, how is your knee doing?"

"It's doing pretty good. I stopped having any pains about month ago and I am still working on getting it back to the shape it was and I am really close." 

Kat Berlington the interviewer smiled at her warmly. "You are really brave."

The young skater just smiled as mouthing a thank you.

"So what are your plans now, are you coming back to skating?"

"Yes." Felicity nodded. "Absolutely. I am focusing on qualifications to National's Championships and obviously making it to the finals." She smiled. "But the bigger goal is Olympiad."

"They are in two years. Do you think you will be ready then?"

"Things are as good as they could be right now. I know I will be working my ass off to make it possible for me. It's a lot of work I am aware of that but that is my dream and the one thing I know for sure is that I want to make it happen."

"Such a young determined lady. I really admire it. So have you thought about your coach? I mean you and your previous one didn't actually leave on good terms."

"No we didn't that's true." A shadow os sadness appeared in Felicity's eyes but she masked it quickly with a smile. "But past is in the past. I actually have eyes on someone." She said and then closed her eyes. "Not in that creepy kind of way. I just think there is someone who could really help me." 

That news surprised everyone in the room including her mother, manager and interviewer.

"Oh do tell please!" The interviewer teased.

"I will share this information if he says yes."

"So it's a man?"

"Yeah but that's all you will get for now."

"Alright." Kat agreed hesitantly. "I will leave it for now."

_____

Meanwhile at the other side of the city a certain ex skating couch was rushing to get ready.

"Luka today you are staying with aunt Thea and uncle Roy okay?" Oliver said as he walked from one place to another trying to find his clothes for work.

"Why's that?" The 8 years old boy asked.

"Because I have classes and you are still on vacation and grandma can't come sit with you today." Oliver explained.

"Well uncle Roy is cool I guess." Luka shrugged.

"Of course he is, I mean he is with aunt Thea right? He has to be cool." Oliver smiled at his son stopping for a second.

He knew his favourite boy was sad and he had a pretty good idea what was the reason behind it.

"Hey." He walked up to him. "Why the long face?"

"I miss aunt Laurel, will she come to stay with me anytime soon?"

And there it was.

Oliver sighed deeply. He knew this day was about to come. He just wanted to avoid it for as long as possible.

"Buddy." He he put his both hands on his son's shoulders. "Aunt Laurel...she is very busy you know."

"Dad I know you two broke off the engagement but she told me, promised me that it didn't mean I couldn't see her." Luka had tears in his eyes.

Oliver felt his heart breaking for the most important person in his life. He pulled him for a tight hug.

When Luka's mother left them both saying she needed time and space and just wanted different things than training skating couples and just doing same thing every day the boy was only about 5 years old.

He didn't understand very well what was going on but one day his mother was at home and the next one she was gone.

Oliver tried his best to make it up to the little boy. He was a father and mother at once and he did his best but the boy was missing a mother figure.

And then Oliver met Laurel. She was a coach of gymnast they met through some mutual friends and it just clicked.

Oliver was afraid to get involved with anyone, mostly because of his son and how the young boy would take it, but at the end the little boy learnt to love the new woman in their life.

He grew attached to her and Laurel was very found of him as well.

It made Oliver a little bit at ease knowing that there was someone Luka could look up at as a mother figure.

Things developed quickly. Oliver fell in love and he was convinced Laurel was the one for him so he proposed and she said yes.

They were happy until he found her with her ex fiance. That was like a stab to his heart. He was devastated but not mostly because of how he felt but how worried he was about his son.

He could never be with someone who lied to him and cheated on him for months. With a broken heart he ended an engagement.

Luka asked what happened and why Laurel packed her things and moved out. 

Oliver explained to him in the best way he could but still the look he saw on his son's face, it was even worse when his mother left.

He let someone in into their lives and that was a mistake cause his boy once again lost someone he loved.

"It's not that easy Luka. It's hard for two people who used to love each other to just hang out like that. I know Laurel still cares about you and with more time passing she will come around." He gave him a comforting smile.

"Okay." The boy nodded sadly.

"I am sorry it's like that but for now on it's just you and me okay? No girls." He messed Luka's a little bit longer light brown hair.

It put a smile on boy's face. "I love you dad."

"I love you too." Oliver hugged his son tightly. "Alright take your bag and pack whatever you want."

Luka run to his room to pick all his favourites toys.

"Hurry up buddy I don't have much time." The young man rushed through the kitchen.

That's when the doorbell rang.

The man sighed. "Who can that be?"

"Dad are you expecting anyone?" He heard his son's voice.

"No it's probably no one important!" He said as he kept looking for his other shoe.

But then not the bell but the knocking filled the whole apartment. Someone was really eager to get to him.

"I am coming! Just a second!" Oliver yelled loudly.

He finally found his shoe in living room and run to the door.

He opened them not really looking at who was standing at the other side.

"Look I am in a rush, I am not interested in buying anything."

And then he looked up and saw her.

"Hi." She said sounding a little bit shyly.

Oliver licked his lips as he just started at her, a little bit rudely.

"I am sorry to bother you in your own house and you probably don't know how I am." The girl rubbed the back of her neck.

Oliver was still silent.

"I am Felicity Smoak, I am a-"

"I know who you are." The man said his first words since he opened the door.

"Oh..okay that's good I guess." The skater bit her lower lip.

"I just don't know what are you doing here?" He leaned against the door as he looked at her.

"I need to ask you a favour and I know it will sound strange and out of place and..." She was clearly nervous so she closed her eyes for second and took a deep breath.

"I came to ask." She paused. 

"Will you be my coach?"


	2. Chapter 2

"Who is this?" Luka asked his father as he walked up to him and standing in the door Felicity.

Oliver was too stunned to say anything. He was just looking at this young woman right in front of him not sure if he heard her correctly or if she was even serious.

"I am Felicity." Their guest was the one to break the silence and decided to help in introduction.

She smiled at the boy and reached her hand out. She usually got along with children quite well but Luka's stare was rather cold and distant, he wanted her to understand that she wasn't welcomed there.

"I don't know you." He said not taking his eyes off of her.

Oliver heard his son's rude tone and that woke him up from his daze. He looked at his right to see Luka's stiff form and frown.

"That doesn't give you the right to be so impolite Luka." Oliver scolded his son. 

He never liked when his son acted like that. He was so defensive like he didn't want to have anything to do with the person he was talking to.

This happened every time some new person, especially woman appeared in Oliver's life. 

He understood that situations like that could make his son upset but it was not okay to take it out on people he didn't know.

"Now please apologize to our guest." He nudged his son's shoulder.

Luka looked very unhappy at his father's request.

That's when Felicity realized that she imposed on these two people standing in front of her and she was the one acting rudely.

"No it's fine." She said before Luka opened his mouth. "I should apologize for coming to your house not announced especially when you don't know who I am..." She turned to boy. "Well you don't know, your father does." She moved her look at the man. "Because he heard about me obviously I mean I've been on news a lot lately so that's probably why because we don't know each other..." She knew she was not making any sense at this point.

She closed her eyes to compose herself. "I am sorry." She said as her eyes remained close.

She couldn't see the small upturn of Oliver's lip as she just babbled along. She was pretty cute he had to admit that.

"Alright so since we established that we don't really know each other I am sorry but I am kinda in a rush to be somewhere." Oliver said.

"You are ready buddy?" 

Luka nodded and walked out of the apartment passing Felicity without a word. Oliver followed him making the young woman take a step back.

He turned his back to her and closed the door.

"I know we don't know each other but what I came here for, I still stand up to it." She said.

Oliver turned his head and looked at her over his shoulder. "I don't know if you are aware of that but I don't train skaters anymore."

"I know." Her reply came quickly. "I heard what happen and I saw it as well but I would like you to still give me a chance."

Oliver turned around and raised his eyebrow.

"Just give me five minutes, please."

He looked at her for few more seconds trying to understand how serious she was about this and by the look on her face she wasn't going to give up so easily.

Then came a loud yell.

"Dad! Are you coming?"

"Yes!" He yelled back still looking at Felicity. 

He finally gave up.

"If you want to talk to me, you have to come with us."

"No problem." She agreed instantly.

The car ride was tense. Felicity was fidgeting all the time at the passenger seat. She knew that from the back seat Luka was staring at her.

"So how old are you, 16?" The young boy asked out of sudden.

Felicity was a little bit surprised by his not as much as a question but statement that she choked a little bit.

"Luka." Oliver warned him as he eyed him in the rear view mirror. "You are pushing the limits buddy."

"What?" The boy tried to sound innocent. "I just asked a question." He shrugged.

"I am 21 actually perfectly legal." Felicity answered turning her head around so she faced Luka.

"Still too young." She heard him mumble.

"That's it!" Oliver raised his voice. "I have no idea what have gotten into you today but I swear if I hear you say something offending one more time I will drop you off and you will be walking to aunt Thea on your own."

"Dad." Luka whined.

"Enough." Oliver said ending the argument.

Felicity didn't know what to do. She pushed herself more into the seat trying to make her look smaller hoping to just avoid all the drama.

What has she really gotten herself into? There clearly were some unsolved problems between the son and father and the kid seemed to really dislike her for some reason.

She wanted to just get out of the car and disappear cause honestly she was in the middle of someone's personal life and she didn't feel good with it.

She was about to ask for dropping her somewhere along the road so she could just get back home and forget about everything including her stupid idea. Why she thought it would work out at first place anyway.

But then she heard a soft 'I am sorry' from Luka and maybe he wasn't thrilled saying this but he was definitely honest.

"It's okay." Felicity said smiling at him softly. "Do you want to know why I am here and who am I?"

Luka shrugged like he wasn't bothered but she saw that his eyes sparkled a little bit, like he was naturally curious. She took that as a good sign.

"So I used to be a figure skater, a pretty good one on a way for reaching my dreams when a terrible accident happened." She moved her whole body so she was facing the young boy over the gap between the front seats.

"My knee broke in a very specific and hurtful way. Doctors told me that was it. They gave me the hope for walking again but they told me to forget about skating. But I have fought every day to get back to shape. I went through hell, a hell of pain."

Luka's face turned into new emotions. There was no coldness anymore but something that looked like scare and maybe a shadow of compassion for the pain she went through.

"I never won a gold and that was my dream to get to Olympiad." She smiled at the thought of what she wanted from her life. "So that's why I am here because I know your dad is like the best one."

"Not like, he is the best one." Luka said correcting her. He sounded so proud of his dad.

Felicity smiled as she stole a glance at Val whose lips turn into a slightest of smiles.

"You are right." The young woman said. "I really need his help cause no one really believes in me anymore. My mom is supportive but I see the look in her eyes whenever I talk about skating like she is a little bit skeptical about it. I need to prove everyone that I can do it and mostly I want to reach my dream, I really want that gold." She sighed as she straighten in her seat.

"You came to the right person." Luka said.

She knew it. That's why she came here because Oliver Queen was exactly what she needed.

"Yeah plus it's your dad or Malcom Merlyn." 

"That guy is a moron." This was the first time Oliver spoke after his burst out at his son.

Felicity couldn't help but laugh at the tone he used. "He is." She agreed. "A pretty good moron though."

"Let me guess your manager wants to set you up with him?" He asked and he looked at her for a brief moment.

"Yeah. She thinks he is my best shot and that he can really help me but I've seen him working and I don't like it, that's not me." She looked at Oliver.

"I am more of an urban chick I want to include something new and fresh into my choreography I mean I get that it's still skating elegant and sparkling." She shrunk and stretched her fingers when she said the word 'sparkling'.

"They do call you Sparkle." Oliver said.

Felicity groaned very loudly. "Don't." She hissed.

"Sparkle?" Luka repeated. "That's like the worst nickname ever."

"Don't I know it."

Before anyone could say anything more Oliver stopped the car.

"We are here buddy." He said to his son.

Luka unlocked the seat belt and jumped out of the car quickly.

Oliver turned to look at Felicity. "Can you wait for me here?"

"Yes of course." She nodded with a glimpse of a smile on her face.

"It shouldn't take long." He said before he opened the door and got out of the car.

When he looked at the door to his sister's house he saw Luka hugging Roy, Thea's' fiance, and his sister who was standing next to them with Luka's bag in his hand.

"Thank you so much for staying with him." Oliver said as he walked to his sister and enveloped her in a hug.

"Anytime, you know I love spending time with my nephew." Thea smiled as she looked at the two people at his side.

"And I for sure love having my fave Queen with me." Roy winked at the little boy as he messed his hair.

Luka let out a sigh of pretended annoyance but then he gave him a wide grin.

Oliver cocked his head to the side as he watched his son interact with his sister's fiance. It was a nice view. Oliver knew Luka really liked Roy and he was so grateful for that.

Thea and Roy broke up the first time they got together. They saw other people for a while but then somehow they found a way back to each other. 

Oliver was really happy for the couple because he knew they were meant to be together. The way they looked at each other and spoke about each other it was exactly like with his...ex-wife. That was a real love.

"I don't think I ever told you how thankful I am for you Thea." Oliver smiled at his sister. "You and mom are like the only woman Luka has left in his life." He added sadly.

"It's not your fault that Laurel left and that...Luka's mother did too." Thea knew how much toll it took on her brother when both of the ladies left him.

It took him a long time to get her brother back on his feet reminding him that he still had a son he had to take care of.

"I am starting to think there is something wrong with me." Oliver smiled sadly. 

He turned his head and looked at his car remembering that there was certain someone waiting there for him.

"Shit." He cursed under his breath. "I gotta go." He said to Thea.

When his sister followed the line of his sight she saw a figure sitting on the passenger seat of the car. She raised her eyebrow at the question.

"It's not what you think." Oliver said lightly shaking his head.

"I don't think it's a right time to..."

Thea didn't even have to finish before Oliver snapped at her.

"I know but as I said it's not what you think. She came for a help."

"So it is a girl."

Oliver raised his eyebrow like he dared his sister to say anything else.

"What kind of help she needs?" Thea decided to ignore him.

"With skating." 

Thea tapped her finger against her lower lip as she was trying to put everything together. 

"Wait." She suddenly realized something. "Don't tell me it's this injured girl who wants to come back to competing? What was her name..." She trailed trying to remember.

"Felicity Smoak." Oliver said helping her to figure it out.

"Yes!" She snapped her fingers as a triumph. "That's her, isn't it?"

"Yes." Oliver admitted as his eyes stayed on the car.

Luka and Roy were long gone inside of the house so it was just the two of them.

"She wants you to coach her?"

Oliver rolled his eyes. "Can you stop stating the obvious things? Of course she wants that, what else could she want from me?"

"What did you tell her?" His sister was intrigued.

"Nothing yet I just told her to get into the car cause I was in a rush and" He looked at the watch "I still am and if I don't leave now I will be late to work." Oliver was already making his way back to the car.

"Ollie!" Thea called after him.

The older brother turned around to look at her.

"What it's worth I think you should agree, from what I saw that girl is pretty good." 

Oliver bit his lower lip as he gave his answer a lot of thought. "She is something."

"With your help she could be more than that."

Oliver took a deep breath. "I know that." He said and then waved his goodbye.

He made it to the car and got inside.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting." He started the car as he looked at his passenger briefly.

"That's alright." Felicity said and her voice was so soft and nice. "So where are we going now?"

"I am going to work and you." He looked at her. "You can come with me." He looked to the right and left leaning forward as he checked if the street was clear.

"That was a nice speech you gave." Oliver said as he joined the traffic. "But you gotta prove yourself, show me what you've got on ice."

"You want me to skate for you?" She was surprised by his request.

"You skate for yourself but if I am going to at least think about us working together I have to see what I am getting myself into." He explained.

"That makes a lot of sense." Felicity nodded as she looked out of the window.

All of sudden she felt nervous because she hasn't been skating for a while. She went to the rink and skated but it was nothing serious. She just missed it and wanted to get the feeling how it was to be in the movement with skates on her feet.

But this was something serious. Oliver was expecting a lot and to prove herself she had to bring her A game.

"Are you in for it?" He asked while turning left on the crossroad.

She thought about it for a second. She was scared, petrified but she had to do it, she had to convince him to help her, he was her last hope.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then she opened them and looked at him.

"I'm in."

**Author's Note:**

> Hey this is a story I once started writing for another fandom but somehow it didn't feel right and didn't work out. I love the whole idea in general so I want to give the story a new start.
> 
> Are you interested in reading more to this story? Let me know :)


End file.
